Cochise Groundwater Stewards hosted two community forums in late April and early May in Sunsites and Elfrida -- over 100 people attended the two forums and they shared their concerns about the water situation. Thanks to all those attended and thanks for your willingness to learn more about our groundwater concerns.
There is another CGS forum scheduled in Bisbee on Wednesday September 28. See the home page for details.
If you are interested in organizing a small group meeting with your neighbors, family and friends to learn more about the groundwater issues in the Sulphur Springs Valley, we will be happy to present an overview, answer questions and facilitate the discussion. The more informed we all are the more we can influence the change that needs to happen.
If you want us to present information on the groundwater situation in the Willcox or Douglas Basins to your church group, local club or other organization, please contact us.
Email cochisegroundwaterstewards@gmail.com for further details or use the Contact Us form on this website.
Douglas and Willcox Basin AMA Propositions on the November 8th Ballot....VOTE YES!
The Douglas Basin and Willcox Basin AMA propositions were referred to the November 8th ballot by the County Board of Supervisors at their August 30th meeting. The call for the election initiated a temporary freeze on any new irrigation of greater than 2 acres in each basin. The Douglas Basin AMA will be on the ballot as Proposition 422 and the Willcox Basin AMA will be on the ballot as Proposition 420. You must be a registered voter residing within the boundaries of the basin to vote on these propositions.
Here’s our top five countdown of what we know the AMA will do to help protect our groundwater future:
#5: Requires metering on all non-exempt irrigation wells (pumping >35gpm) Non-exempt well owners will be required to install metering devices and report water usage annually to ADWR. How can you manage something if you can’t accurately measure it? This requirement does not impact domestic wells (known as “exempt” wells pumping less than 35gpm).
#4: Implements well spacing requirements: Currently there are essentially no restrictions on where a new well can be drilled in relation to an existing well. Under the current rules a large irrigation well could be drilled just a few feet across your property line close to the domestic well you depend on for your daily water needs. Look up “cone of depression” and you will understand why these spacing requirements are a good thing.
#3:Establishes a long term goal and a management plan: The goal and management plans will be structured to reduce the overdraft of our groundwater and insure future water security. The goal and management plans will be specific to the needs of our groundwater basins.
#2: Creates an advisory council and requires public meetings: To insure local residents/farmers/municipalities have input into the goal and management plans.
#1: Freezes irrigation at current levels – no new irrigation will be allowed! A big step to saving our water. Just think of how much more land will be cleared and deep wells drilled if the AMA fails and there is no irrigation freeze in place. The depletion of our groundwater will just keep accelerating….the AMA halts the increase in irrigation and requires a plan be developed to reduce overall irrigation levels.
VOTE YES for AMAs. VOTE YES on Propositions 420 and 422.
Go to the Arizona Water Defenders website to learn more about the AMAs.
Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) publishes fact sheets on Willcox and Douglas AMA petitions
ADWR recently published two fact sheets designed to provide some basic information as to what will happen once the referendum are referred to the ballot and if a majority of the voters in each basin approve the AMA for either the Willcox or Douglas Basins. ADWR FAQs for Willcox AMA ADWR FAQs for Douglas AMA